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What does it take you to develop a software? Strong coding skills, that’s it?

And what if still at the end, your code isn’t working fine?

Well, then comes software testing.

The Concept of Software Testing-

A set of operations performed to deeply inspect each and every element of the coding structure is software testing. No matter, the bug is in designing or development segment, a quality analyst is supposed to rectify and suggest changes to designers and developers respectively.

With the demand for excellence in the IT sector, a number of testing types have been introduced exaggerating the scope and vision of software testing. Here is a list unraveling the different sorts of testing types-

Alpha Testing: This one is the basic types of software testing performed to rectify the common errors. It is important to test a code structure using alpha testing before beta testing type. It needs to be practiced through the developer’s end to ensure accurate results.

Acceptance Testing: This one type completely belongs to the client end. It is performed when the software has been delivered to the client and the client has to test the delivered software. Here, right from the features to all the functionalities are tested to approve the received software. In technical or say the testing world, it testing type is also familiar as- UAT (User Acceptance Testing). In the entire row of tests performed on a software, this is considered as the last test in the series.

Ad-hoc Testing: Performed on the basis of Ad-hoc, the major function of this testing type is to break down the wrong flow of an application and bringing it on the right track. Here, the testing process starts with finding out the most obvious defects of the code structure.

Beta Testing: It is when the developed software or mobile app is shared with the end users to get genuine feedback and then launch it in the market with all the confidence. During this process, major or minor bugs can be detected depending on the feedback received. To ensure it, usually, commercial sectors prefer to go with the target audience to get an estimated success rate of the end product/software. Once the mobile app or software is approved, the beta testing process is considered as successful.

Accessibility Testing: This one sort of software testing proves that technology does not have any disability barriers. An ideal software or application is the one which can be used by anyone, no matter what disability an individual possesses. Through accessibility testing, a software is analysed if it is compatible with people having color blindness, who are deaf, aged or suffer from any other disability. Here, the major emphasis is put on inspecting the color visibility, color blindness, font size or color.

Browser compatibility Testing: This one is more of a subcategory listed under the compatibility testing where the performance or operations of the developed web application is checked on multiple browsers.

White Box Testing: In order to run white box testing in the righteous manner, one should have sufficient knowledge about code working and internal software. Also referred to as Glass box testing, it is basically an analysis of internal logic hidden behind the web application code structure. It majorly involves code conditions, statements, path, and branches.

Volume Testing: Rare people know that there is a performance testing team which is often considered as non-functional members. These testing analysts are responsible for performing volume testing. The major goal is to see if the application or software is performing well even when receiving requests or commands in bulk. If it’s been developed using the strong code structure, it won’t crash ultimately otherwise, the tested application may stop functioning suddenly.

Usability Testing: This is to give the application is a certain ranking of user-friendliness. In order to come up with the most accurate feedback, generally, a new user (who is not from the development or testing team) is given the task to analyse the web app and share feedback. If the user understands all the features appropriately, the app is approved otherwise few fixtures may be required.

Vulnerability Testing: This test is useful to rectify if the code structure is strong enough to bear seamless usage or not. Here, majorly the networking, security, hardware and other elements are analysed.

Stress Testing: It is more like testing the patience or capability of the developed software or mobile app. Here, multiple queries, inputs are entered in the application just to see for how long it can work properly. Ideally, if it works fine for more than 1-2 minutes of constant actions, the software is ready to be launched.

Static Testing: Those testers who do not like to test an application or software using the code, this one is the best testing process to work on. Here, documentation is used for executing the testing activities and phase.

Unit Testing: This is used for testing any particular module of the web app or software. As it requires design and code testing, only an experienced quality analyst can perform unit testing. To bring out the most accurate results, usually, test harnesses or test driver modules are used.

Smoke Testing: This testing type is important to eradicate the detail testing process. Smoke testing runs a quick and detailed analysis through the code structure and other elements of the web app which ensures the perfect functionalities of the developed product.

Security Testing: As the term, ‘security testing’ is quite self-explanatory, it is used for detecting malicious activities or viruses making the web app slower. This test is best to run when you want to check the authorization or authentication of the code structure used to develop the web app or software. Else than this, security tests are important to be executed if you want to analyse the software responsive ability to any unauthorized activity usually performed by hackers. It becomes a mandatory software testing type when you are developing a finance or banking web or mobile app.

Regression Testing: In order to test the application module or functionality, regression tests are performed. This process becomes more perplexed if no automation testing tools are used throughout the testing process.

Sanity Testing: This test is important to see if your developed web app or software is efficient enough to pass advance rigid tests or not. Just in case, it is not able to pass sanity testing which is more of an initial testing stage, then going for the advance tests is of no uses.

Risk-Based Testing: To start with this sort of testing process, you need to set the testing priorities first. It is preferred to test the critical functionality of the developed mobile app or software. Here, the priorities are made according to the business requirements. Once, the business priorities are set, the testers cannot change them. After setting the priorities, the next step is to run the software test according to the series. This approach helps to fasten the testing process ensuring accurate results.

Recovery Testing: This test is important to run to detect if the software or mobile app is able to recover all the data information stored within it after experiencing a sudden crash or not. For instance- a data cable has been attached to the device (on which you are using the mobile app or developed software) to fetch or store data but while this data transferring process, the cable detaches from the device. Usually, in such cases, the transferred data removes. The recovery testing can help you analyse if the end product can manage your data recovery or not.

Negative Testing: In order to witness the reactions or changed behaviour of software or mobile app, negative testing is the best medium. Generally, here testers enter random or incorrect values to see if how the software will react in return. In the quality testing profession, such practices come under negative testing techniques or approaches.

Install/Uninstall Testing: This one is experienced when a new version of the previously launched software or web app has been developed. Here the tests run on the different elements in one go.

Load Testing: This one comes under the non-functional testing process where the capability of data load is checked or analysed through rigid tests. Here, usually testing tools like- WebLoad, Silk performer, and LoadRunner.

Integration Testing: This one is to test the integrated modules present within the code structure of the software developed. It is important to practice especially from the client-server end.

Gorilla Testing: This testing unravels the robustness of the software in many ways. Usually performed either by a tester or a developer, it tests one module or the functionality section thoroughly.

Incremental Integration Testing: Also referred to as bottom-up testing approach, it is ideal when you want to run a continuous testing process without hindering the overall functionality of the web app or software. This sort of test can be performed by both programmers and testers.

Happy Path Testing: When a mobile or web app is tested using all the valid paths or activities, it is happy path testing. Here all the inputs or entered values are accurately reflecting the expected results. The chances of bugs detected through this process are rare.

Functional Testing: As the term is quite self-explanatory, functional testing is something which analysis the performance and behaviour of different functions/features in one go. It uses a black box testing process to fetch the required results.

Graphical User Interface Testing: One of the basic reasons for running graphic user interface testing is to validate all the business requirements in the testing process. In order to see the detailed list of business requirements, one can surf the general user interface testing mock-ups or design documents. It is basically to rectify the different elements of text and font contents. Apart from this, GUI testing helps to test the alignment issues of the web app.

Exploratory Testing: This one comes under informal testing type where the only objective is to explore the different segments and look for hidden flaws which often go unnoticed by the team. While performing it, the tester must pay high attention to the testing activities as it may cause system or software failure suddenly.

Component Testing: Generally, practiced after the unit testing process, it includes a number of functionalities in the form of a code and component testing rectifies the major or minor faults present within the displayed code structure.

Branch Testing: This one can be called as a subcategory of unit testing which can also be referred to as a white box testing type. Here, the only concern of a tester is to run the code on the different test branches to ensure safe and accurate code. This is one such test type which does not take much time and usually displays immediate results.

Manual Testing: As the name itself suggests, this type of testing is performed without using any automation tools. Undoubtedly, it requires more attention and efforts as compared to any other sort of software testing types.

Conclusion:

This article pays attention to the different elements or types of software testing expanding the scope of this stream. It speaks about the technicalities hidden behind frequently occurring terms in this profession.

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About Veridic

Veridic Technologies is an end-to-end IT solutions company focused on Product Engineering Services, Enterprise Mobility, and Custom Application Development.

Started in 2010 by Mr. Ankur Thakur as an outsourcing firm for Brightstar Corporation (a USD 10 Billion company), now Veridic has risen to become an internationally known brand. We have a dedicated team of 150+ employees operating from 3 offices, U.S, India & UK.